• October 11, 2022 Regular Meeting

WHEREAS: The Superintendent and School Committee have been working with the Department of Human Services Programs to expand access to afterschool programs; and

WHEREAS: Cambridge Public Schools have increased access to space for programs within school buildings, and have recruited district staff to apply for DHSP after-school positions; and

 WHEREAS: A waiting list of over two hundred families remains for city-run after-school programs this school year; and

 WHEREAS: Many students attend afterschool programs run by community partners; and

 WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools transportation policy has made extended considerations for students in grades 6-8 beyond the state requirement; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee requested a plan for transporting students to after-school programs last year (21-311, Members Wilson and Fantini); and

WHEREAS: Cambridge Public Schools provided additional funding to community partners last year to address the transportation needs of their participants; and

WHEREAS: The administration has examined options for bus routes and policies, including those outlined in the Student Transportation Assessment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the Cambridge Public Schools will work with the contracted transportation company to address student transportation this year, including but not limited to allowing students to ride buses that have the capacity, and exploring adding stops along/near existing routes; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the administration will provide the School Committee with an update on related efforts no later than October 31, 2022.

None

Data and Accountability
Dr. Lendozia Edwards, Chief of Academics and Schools 
Jennifer Amigone, Director of Research, Assessment, and Evaluation
Emily Bryan, K-12 ELA Literacy Coordinator
Siobhan Mulligan, Director of Mathematics
Dr. Barbara Mullen, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

None

WHEREAS: The School Committee adopted the Innovation Agenda in 2011, establishing four new Upper Schools; and

WHEREAS: The Upper Schools were named after the streets on which they were located; and

WHEREAS: Community members have since learned that the namesake of the Vassal Lane Upper School, John Vassal Jr., enslaved multiple people on his Cambridge property and his family enslaved hundreds of individuals in the Jamaican sugar industry; and

WHEREAS: The horrors to which Vassal submitted human beings are incompatible with the Cambridge Public Schools’ mission, vision, and values; and

WHEREAS: CPS strives to educate our students in an anti-racist, liberatory manner; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: By December 31, 2022, the Superintendent will bring the Committee a proposal for a process to rename VLUS; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the process will list criteria for suggesting new school names, including honoring a Black Cantabrigian or multiple local Black leaders who contributed to the advancement of equitable education, civil rights, and/or the local community; and be it further

RESOLVED: While the School Committee retains the responsibility of naming schools, the Superintendent’s proposed process will include opportunities for students, families, educators, and community members to provide input on the new name; and be it further

RESOLVED: The School Committee will rename VLUS before the end of the 2022-23 school year.

None